July 13 (Bloomberg) -- Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest
coffee-shop operator, said it will open a new plant in Augusta,
Georgia, creating more than 140 manufacturing jobs.

The factory will cost $172 million and open in early 2014,
the company said today in a statement.

Once complete, the facility will produce products currently
manufactured abroad, including Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, as well
as the coffee base for Frappuccino blended beverages and many of
Starbucks ready-to-drink products.

The plant will be Seattle-based Starbucks’s fifth
manufacturing facility in the U.S. The company’s existing
network of four roasting facilities employ more than 830 people
in Kent, Washington; York, Pennsylvania; Sandy Run, South
Carolina; and Carson Valley, Nevada.

“During such challenging economic times, I am thrilled
that we are creating jobs and building something special right
here in Georgia,” said Peter Gibbons, executive vice president,
Starbucks Global Supply Chain Operations.

Starbucks advanced 1.8 percent to $53.61 at the close in
New York, extending its gain this year to 17 percent.